~ Daniel Ottalini's author blog and website

Project 27 – Eleven

I’m doing this with both poetry and novel writing to try and keep it up and break up the monotony and give me some variety of writing. So another Project 27 Poem today. Let me know what you think! Inspired by some events in the last few days.

Words Typed: 200
Poems: 3 (including this one)

Eleven

“You Like Her”
The words hang, like venom in the air
Like a towel left on the stair
case.
Snickers and smiles
“No, I don’t”
Nothing against her. Nothing at all.
She’s nice. She’s kind. Especially now in the fall.
No year of minor problems or challenges to break
the friendship.
But the teacher’s words return
None of that here. None of it at all.
“So… you do.”
“NO.” Louder and insistent, sure that the others will hear
the commotion grows bigger, pulling others in
a black hole of perceived sin
of drama and needless time-wasting grins
and chuckles

“I’m going to tell her you do!”
The last of the crude comments. You blurt out
“No! She’s ugly and horrible and…”
You see her face crumple. That’s not what you meant.
Just some space, just a moment
But it’s gone now, and the peace broken.
Spirit broken. Faces broken by tears that fall
upon the linoleum floors.

Her friends jump to defend, the instigator flees.
All you wanted was some peace
and silence.

Teachers come. Aides come.
Everyone but your mom, it seems,
arrives on the scene.
No one listens, no one cares.
At least that’s how it feels with all the stares.
But
a glimmer of hope
perhaps
maybe
someone else will listen
and understand
what it’s like
to be eleven